Combination tool box and stand



July 30, 1963 CROTEAU 3,

COMBINATION TOOL BOX AND STAND Filed Oct. 28, 1960 Lionel Grofeau IN VEN TOR.

MM. 44 BY ym 0y 23m United States Patent COMBINATION TOOL BQX AND STAND Lionel Croteau, 629 Mercury St, West Palm Beach, Fla. Filed Oct. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 65,622 4 Claims. c1. 240-4 The present invention generally relates to a combination stand, seat, utility light, tool box and work bench primarily adapted for use by persons engaged in automobile repair work or similar type of work requiring the person to work while in a sitting position or at times to work in elevated places requiring the person to be supported on a stand or the like.

In automobile repair work and similar work, a person quite often requires the use of a light and also tools in readily accessible positions. Further, quite often a stand or seat may be expeditiously employed while performing certain operations. Further, it is desirable to have an electrical outlet available for use with various portable equipment, trouble lights or the like. Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a utilitarian stand which is capable of being used as a seat, provided with a drawer thereon for tools and the like, provided with a light for illuminating the Work area, provided with an electrical outlet for various power equipment, trouble lights and the like, and having a pivotal cushion for movement to an out-of-the-way position so that the device may be used as a stand for elevating the person when standing thereon.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a portable utilitarian stand in accordance with the preceding object which is quite simple in construction, easy to use, elfective for its particular purposes 'and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combination tool box and stand of the present invention illustrating the open front end thereof thereby enabling the light to illuminate the work area;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the device illustrating the pivotal light and cord assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the details of construction of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of FIGURE 1 illustrating further structural details of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 55 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the structure of the catch for detachably holding the Wire and light supporting panel.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral lit generally designates the combination multipurpose stool or stand and tool box of the present invention which is in the form generally of a hollow rectangular base which may generally be in the form of a box-like receptacle or receiver and which is provided with upwarrlly converging end walls 12 and 14, a front wall 16 and a rear wall 18. The front and rear walls also converge upwardly and each of the walls is provided with a recess 20 in the bottom edge thereof which defines depending feet or legs 22 for supporting engagement with a suitable supporting surface.

The upper ends of the walls 12-18 are interconnected by a solid top wall 24 and spaced slightly above the cutouts or notches 20 in the walls 1218 is an elevated bottom wall or member 26. All of the components are secured together in any suitable manner and may be constructed of wood, metal or any other suitable material.

Each end wall 12 and 14 is provided with a generally oval-shaped opening 28 adjacent the upper end thereof "ice which forms a hand-hold for enabling a person to grasp the device for carrying it to a desired location. Mounted on the top wall 24 is a cushion or pad generally designated by numeral 36 and including a cover 32 and layers 34 of cushioning material. One edge of the cushion 30 is hingedly attached to the rear wall 18 by virtue of hinge wire members 36 having substantially a Z-shaped configuration with the ends of the wire hinges 36 being received in eye members 38 mounted respectively on the rear wall 18 and the cushion 34 which may also be provided with a stilfening or reinforcing member 40 whereby the cushion 30' may be pivoted to a position overlying the upper portion of the rear wall 18 so that a person may stand upon the top wall 24 directly with his feet without marring the cushion and without providing an insecure support for such a person which would be provided by the cushion. When the cushion is in the position illustrated in the drawings, the device may be effectively employed as a stool or as a seat for use when performing certain operations.

The front wall 16 is provided with an enlarged opening 42 therein which extends all the way through the lower edge of the front wall. This provides access to the front of a drawer M having side walls 46 forming a part thereof which side walls are each provided with a longitudinal groove 48 adjacent the upper end thereof slidably engaging the Z-shaped angle iron member 5t attached to the underside of the bottom 26. By virtue of this construction, the drawer 44 may be moved inwardly and outwardly in relation to the front wall 16 and various tools may be supported and stored in the drawer 44. The drawer 44 moves out through the bottom edge of the opening =42 thus maintaining the tools in a readily accessible position in relation to a person sitting on the cushion. Also disposed interiorly of the opening 42 is a vertical screen member 52 secured between the top wall 24 and the bottom wall 26 and forming a protective guard or screen for a light bulb 54 supported by a socket 56 mounted on the inner surface of the rear wall 18. The socket 56 and the bulb 541- is such that it will illuminate the area outwardly of the enlarged opening i2 and suitable refiectors (not shown) may be provided for the light 54 if desired. Mounted on a panel 58 is a spool or reel '60 for a current delivery and conducting cord or excessive wire 62 having a male plug 64 thereon. The male plug 64 may be employed for plugging into any suitable female outlet.

The panel 58 is held in place in an opening 65 in wall 18 by a bottom hinge 66 mounted on the wall 18 at the bottom of opening 65 and rests on a pivoted latch 68 at the sides of opening 65.

The plug 64 is employed for plugging into any suitable female outlet. The end wall 12 is also provided with a switch 72 for turning the light 54 on and off and there also is a female outlet 74- disposed in the same opening which receives the switch 72. The outlet 74 and switch 72 all receive electrical energy from male plug 64 which is attached to any suitable female outlet. The switch 72 is for purposes of selectively supplying energy to the light bulb 54 when the light bulb is mounted in the position illustrated in the drawings thus providing control for the light since it is not needed in certain instances. The normally powered outlet plug 74 also provides for plugging in of various electrical equipment such as power drills and the like and also enables a conventional trouble light to be plugged therein for use wherever desired.

The stand may be constructed of any suitable material and may be of various sizes and clearly has many uses other than in connection with automobile repairs.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted 'to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use by a mechanic, particularly a mechanic engaged in vehicle repair work in a service garage; a portable base, said base being in the form of a stool and of hollow construction and providing an enclosed compartment, said base embodying top, bottom, front, rear and end walls defining said compartment, the bottom wall being elevated above lower portions of the encompassing front, back and end walls, said bottom wall being provided on an underneath side thereof with a slidingly mounted tool drawer, said front wall having an unrestricted opening communicating with the compartment, said top wall providing a sturdy standing platform, a cushion normally superimposed upon said top wall and having one lengthwise marginal edge hingedly attached to an upper portion of a cooperating rear wall, said cushion providing a seat and being swingable to an out-of-theway position against the back wall when not being used, one end wall being providedwith a switch and an electric power takeolf receptacle, a socket containing a lamp bulb mounted on the interior of the rear wall within the confines of said compartment, said rear wall having an opening, a hingedly mounted panel normally fitting into and closing said opening, said panel provided with an interiorly disposed cord reeling spool whereby to permit an extension cord to be wound on the spool with the extension cord electrically connected with the socket as well as the aforementioned switch and outlet.

2. A combination stand comprising a hollow portable base having upwardly coverging walls interconnected by a top wall and an elevated bottom wall, a cushion overlying and resting atop the top wall, means pivotally attaching one edge of the cushion to the base for swinging movement of the cushion from an operative position overlying the top to an inoperative position disposed against one wall of the stand, whereby when the cushion is outof-the-way said top wall provides a platform, said upward converging walls including upwardly converging end walls and upwardly converging front and rear walls, the front wall having an enlarged unobstructed opening therein facing a work area, a light means mounted on the interior of the rear wall for illuminating the work area by way of the front wall opening, a drawer being slidably mounted on and beneath the bottom wall for carrying tools and a. vertical protective screen mounted forward of the light means and rearwardly of the front wall, said screen extending between the top and bottom walls and being of a width so as to only extend slightly beyond said light means at either side thereof.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 together with an aperture through one of said upwardly converging walls, a panel, pivot means mounting said panel on said one wall for movement between a first position closing said aperture and a second position parallel to and resting against the outer surface of said one wall, and a cord spool mounted on said panel so as to extend into the exterior of the hollow base when the panel is in said first position.

4. The combination of claim 3 together with an electric switch for controlling the light, and a socket for receiving various male plugs on the exterior surface of one end wall of the stand, said opposed end walls having rounded hand-hold openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 15,102 Nikonow May 10, 1921 1,447,145 Morell Feb. 27, 1923 1,488,888 Lewensohn Apr. 1, 1924 1,973,628 Hindle Sept. 11, 1934 2,264,744 Dunnam Dec. 2, 1941 2,265,841 Jankowski Dec. 9, 1941 2,267,158 Locke Dec. 23, 1941 2,367,437 Salt Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 791,081 Great Britain Feb. 26, 1958 

1. FOR USE BY A MACHANIC, PARTICULARLY A MECHANIC ENGAGED IN VEHICLE REPAIR WORK IN A SERVICE GARAGE; A PORTABLE BASE, SAID BASE BEING IN THE FORM OF A STOOL AND OF HOLLOW CONSTRUCTION AND PROVIDING AN ENCLOSED COMPARTMENT, SAID BASE EMBODYING TOP, BOTTOM, FRONT, REAR AND END WALLS DEFINING SAID COMPARTMENT, THE BOTTOM WALL BEING ELEVATED ABOVE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE ENCOMPASSING FRONT, BACK AND END WALLS, SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING PROVIDED ON AN UNDERNEATH SIDE THEREOF WITH A SLIDINGLY MOUNTED TOOL DRAWER, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING AN UNRESTRICTED OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMPARTMENT, SAID TOP WALL PROVIDING A STURDY STANDING PLATFORM, A CUSHION NORMALLY SUPERIMPOSED UPON SAID TOP WALL AND HAVING ONE LENGTHWISE MARGINAL EDGE HINGEDLY ATTACHED TO AN UPPER PORTION OF A COOPERATING REAR WALL, SAID CUSHION PROVIDING A SEAT AND BEING SWINGABLE TO AN OUT-OF-THE WAY POSITION AGAINST THE BACK WALL WHEN NOT BEING USED, ONE END WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH A SWITCH AND AN ELECTRIC POWER TAKEOFF RECEPTACLE, A SOCKET CONTAINING A LAMP BULB MOUNTED ON THE INTERIOR OF THE REAR WALL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID COMPARTMENT, SAID REAR WALL HAVING AN OPENING, A HINGEDLY MOUNTED PANEL NORMALLY FITTING INTOAND CLOSING SAID OPENING, SAID PANEL PROVIDED WITH AN INTERIORLY DISPOSED CORD REELING SPOOL WHEREBY TO PERMIT AN EXTENSION CORD TO BE WOUND ON THE SPOOL WITH THE EXTENSION CORD ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH THE SOCKET AS WELL AS THE AFOREMENTIONED SWITCH AND OUTLET. 